1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a two-dimensional light-emitting element array device, particularly to a two-dimensional light-emitting element array device using three-terminal light-emitting thyristors. The present invention further relates to a method for driving such a two-dimensional light-emitting element array device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A two-dimensional light-emitting element array device constituted by arranging a plurality of three-terminal thyristors of PNPN structure in two-dimension have been disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 3-200364 and 3-273288, these publications being related to the Japanese Patent applications filed by the present applicant.
The two-dimensional light-emitting array device disclosed in these publications, however, needs at least three light-emitting thyristors and three clock lines for constituting one picture-element, so that there is such a problem that the area of one picture-element is large.
FIG. 1 shows the two-dimensional light-emitting element array device disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-273288. In this device, a plurality of light-emitting thyristors are arranged in two-dimension, i.e., in X-Y matrix. Clock lines CK.sub.1 -CK.sub.3 which supply clocks .phi..sub.1 -.phi..sub.3 respectively are connected to the thyristor in such a way that each clock line is connected obliquely from the thyristor on upper left to the thyristor on lower right.
In this two-dimensional light-emitting element array device, ON state (light-on state) of the light-emitting thyristor P may be transferred on the device toward the right side or lower side on the drawing. In this case, four light-emitting thyristors enclosed by a dotted-line 10 constitutes one picture-element. Therefore, the area of one picture-element is large, resulting in the low density of picture-elements.